ovary

noun

ova·​ry ˈō-və-rē How to pronounce ovary (audio)
ˈōv-rē
plural ovaries
1
: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that produce eggs and in vertebrates female sex hormones
2
: the enlarged rounded usually basal portion of the pistil or gynoecium of an angiospermous plant that bears the ovules and consists of one or more carpels see flower illustration

Examples of ovary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Another common treatment for MBC is chemotherapy, which can damage ovarian follicles and sometimes cause early menopause, as well as reduce egg counts inside the ovaries. — Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 29 Oct. 2026 Each round of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, is timed to a menstrual cycle, and doctors sometimes stop a round partway through, such as when the ovaries don’t respond as expected to medication. — Katherine Pukinskis, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 Scientists also are finding microplastics in nearly every part of the human body — the brain, the heart, ovaries and testicles. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 In a study of healthy ovaries from 28 women aged 50 to close to 80, published on Wednesday in Aging Cell, researchers found that there were hundreds of proteins in the ovaries evolving in the decades after menopause. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ovary

Word History

Etymology

New Latin ovarium, from Latin ovum egg

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ovary was in 1658

Phrases Containing ovary

Browse Nearby Words

ovarium
ovary
ovate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ovary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ovary. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ovary

noun
ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē How to pronounce ovary (audio)
plural ovaries
1
: one of the usually paired organs in the body of female animals that produces eggs and that in female vertebrates also produces sex hormones
2
: the enlarged rounded lower part of the pistil of a flower in which seeds are formed

Medical Definition

ovary

noun
ova·​ry ˈōv-(ə-)rē How to pronounce ovary (audio)
plural ovaries
1
: one of the typically paired essential female reproductive organs that in vertebrates produce eggs and female sex hormones, that occur in the adult human as oval-shaped flattened bodies about one-and-a-half inches (four centimeters) long suspended from the dorsal surface of the broad ligament of either side, that arise from the mesonephros, and that consist of a vascular fibrous stroma enclosing developing egg cells
2
: the female reproductive structure of an angiosperm that bears ovules and is enclosed in a flower

More from Merriam-Webster on ovary

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ovary

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